Kale Is the New Bacon

Earthbound Organics Kales
This company known for its boxed varieties of salad greens that run the gamut of baby spinach, baby arugula, and mixed greens has now expanded with its line of "Mixed Baby Kales." Why? Because of kale's growing popularity and "tremendous nutrient content."

Credit: Earthbound Farm

Brad's Raw Chips
These kale chips, in Regular or Hot flavors, can be ordered by the case and, after the endorsement on TODAY, more than one person might be inclined to do so.

Credit: Brad's Raw Chips

Hot & Spicy Kale Tempuraw
Another product that can be purchased in bulk, this "tempuraw" seemingly mimics the taste of tempura but it’s raw (at least that’s how we interpreted it).

Credit: Tempuraw

Kale & Watercress Hand Cream
When the scent from dinner the night before starts to fade, simply refresh with this hydrating and moisturizing $20 hand cream that’s scented with "bright green kale and fresh peppery watercress."

Eat More Kale.com Stickers
The popularity of these stickers (which seem to be everywhere) is so widespread that one day our staff walked in to find these on all of our desks. Who/how/why they were there, we’re still not sure… Apparently, they can be purchased for $0.50 each with free shipping!

Credit: Jane Bruce

Kale & Watercress Soap
The same company that offers the scented hand cream also sells a Kale & Watercress Soap. Apparently, there is a large enough market for kale and watercress lovers out there to necessitate not just having one but two of these scented products.

Credit: Mor Cosmetics

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Reading this headline, it's hard to imagine kale (a superfood) having anything to do with bacon (a heavy meat product), let alone being the new bacon. But think back several years to the bacon infestation that infiltrated nearly every aspect of our lives. From bacon and chocolate candies to bacon cologne, there was no escaping it. In fact, it still lingers on today...

However, society is trying to turn over a new, healthy leaf, and what better to do that with than kale? (Pun intended.) Full of vitamins A, C, and K and a long list of other health perks, it has long been touted as a superfood. To top that off, kale grows fantastically in the winter and is one of the heartier plants out there, usually causing it to overflow CSA boxes.

But it's more than just its durability in cold climates that has made kale the celebrity that it is today. As discussed during social media week in New York City recently, kale has a powerful team of people behind it, from PR companies to chefs, that have led to the state of kale as we know it today.

Kale chips seem to be the new edamame (in terms of a healthy snack to munch on) and kale appears to be replacing spinach and chard as the swirl-in green for stews and soups (though, admittedly, the Tuscans have been doing that for a long time). Looking for a new salad green? Simply slice raw kale and toss it with an acidic or creamy dressing — the remaining ingredients are nearly limitless.

To really earn the title of the "new bacon," kale has to go beyond recipes. While it's clever to use it in pesto in place of basil, or add it to smoothies, it needs to enter into the mass market realm to really make a statement. And it has.

Here, a collection of some of the better kale products out there. Kale soap or hand cream, anyone?